Chandigarh,– The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today lashed out at Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa for “coaching” his legislators on how to “disrupt” the ‘sangat darshan’ programmes of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal which allows direct interaction of the common man with the top leadership of the State.

            In a statement here senior SAD leaders including and Jails and Cultural Affairs minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Youth Akali Dal (YAD) president and Revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia and Education minister Sikander Singh Maluka claimed the PCC chief was now resorting to this desperate step to save his tottering chair after the failure of his “mass contact” programme in the State.  YAD President Bikram Majithia said the PCC chief’s actions brought to mind the couplet “hum to dubange sanam tumhen  bhi le ke dubange”; adding Partap Bajwa seemed to have realized that the politics of confrontation being practiced by him was not leading him anywhere and was now bent upon turning the people against his own legislators also.

            The leaders said it was a fact that the ‘sangat darshan’ programmes had transformed the model of development in Punjab. “Even the most under privileged sections have a say in the development process in their villages”. They said people flocked to ‘sangat darshan’ programmes out of love and respect for chief minister Parkash Singh Badal who had attained the status of the tallest statesman in the country. “Any attempt to disrupt the programmes would invite the ire of the rural folk who would not tolerate a halt to development activities in their villages at any cost”, the leaders added.
Meanwhile Jails and Cultural Affairs minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur said PCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa needed to come out of his feudal mindset and welcome any step which brought the government close to the people, like the ‘sangat darshan’ programme. Phillaur said this programme was now being copied by other States, including Congress led ones, under different names as it resulted in instant development.

            Education minister Sikander Singh Maluka said the people were already reacting against the Punjab Congress for trying to disrupt the ‘sangat darshan’ programmes. He said after first urging his mlas on the path of confrontation, the PCC chief had now issued instructions to his legislators to raise their demands “politely” before the chief minister but at the same time asked them to try to “corner” the CM. “Who has ever stopped Congress legislators from raising the demands of their areas before the chief minister” Maluka asked while urging the Congress mlas to shun the path of confrontation adopted by the PCC chief and cooperate with the government to usher in speedy development. EOM